Ned Dougherty - Fast Lane to Heaven: A Life-After-Death Journey

Copyright 2001

by Ned Dougherty

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review.

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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-110247

ISBN 978-1-57174-336-7

10 9 8 7 6 5

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...Hear the pious prayer of all those who

recognize that yours is a reign of mercy, in

which every petition is heard, every sorrow

comforted, every misfortune relieved, every

infirmity healed, and in which, as a gesture

from your gentle hands, from death itself

there arises smiling life!

AND TO
MICHAEL

In Her Words,

Truly a son of God!

The characters in this book are real, and the events are true, but I have used pseudonyms for several of the characters for privacy and other considerations. Although I was guided through my experience by only one of my friends, who had been killed in Vietnam, Lieutenant Daniel McCampbell is a pseudonym, and his character and the description of the events before his death represent the combined experiences of a number of my personal friends who had been killed or wounded, or who had served, in Vietnam. I owe a great debt of gratitude not only to these personal friends, but also to all of the brave men and women who served in Vietnam, particularly to those who sacrificed their lives, and who continue to inspire me from the Other Side.

I am also indebted to my friends in Alcoholics Anonymous for whom I have also used pseudonyms, especially to those both named and unnamed who traveled with me on the road to recoveryparticularly George B., Paul G., Peter H., Ray H., Jimmy L., and, posthumously, Larry S.

For research material, personal meetings, and professional guidance, I relied on the consultation and advice of Bruce Greyson, M.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. I am personally indebted to Dr. Greyson for his encouragement and support, particularly during 1994 and 1995 when I embarked on the mission that resulted in this manuscript. Through his work and support as director of research for the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), Dr. Greyson has provided inspiration and support to thousands of near-death survivors throughout the world.

I would also like to thank several other professional consultants and/or pioneers in near-death research: P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.; Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D.; Melvin Morse, M.D.; Kenneth Ring, Ph.D.; George Ritchie, M.D.; Elisabeth Kbler-Ross, M.D.; Michael Sabom, M.D.; and Ian Stevenson, M.D.

During my two-year tenure on the Board of Directors of IANDS, I gratefully received the support and friendship of my fellow board members: Phyllis Atwater, Maggie Callanan, Diane Corcoran, Elizabeth Fenske, Bruce Horacek, Debbie James, Jo Ann Marnie, Leslee Morabito, Sandra Procko, and Karl Williamson. I am particularly grateful to IANDS past president Nancy Evans Bush for giving me the opportunity to serve as a board member. I have also been inspired by the work and friendship of John Van Auken, Dannion Brinkley, Mally Cox Chapman, Bill Guggenheim, Sarah Hinze, Betty Paraskevas, and Mickey Paraskevas.

My spiritual journey through life resulted in my meeting a number of spiritual leaders who had an everlasting impact on my life, particularly His Eminence Cardinal John O'Connor of New York, Monsignor Tom Hartman of The God Squad, and Mother Angelica. During the writing and editing of this manuscript I spent time in prayer and meditation at the following retreats and wish to extend thanks to all of the priests and brothers who were my gracious and inspiring hosts at the Montfort House at Lourdes of Litchfield, Connecticut; the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia; the New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, California; and particularly to Father Bill, Father Ray, and Brother Chris at Our Lady of the Island Shrine, Eastport, New York. (My acknowledgement of these individuals and religious organizations should not be construed or misunderstood as an approval of this manuscript by any religious authority. This manuscript has not been read, reviewed, influenced, or in any way been given an imprimatur by any religious authority.)

A house fire in February 1998 destroyed most of my research material, personal diaries, much of the original manuscript, and a file of names of people whom I wished to acknowledge for contributions both great and small that enabled me to complete my work. I apologize if I failed to specifically mention your name here, if such promise had been made prior to the fire. However, your contributions are greatly appreciatedyou know who you are!

As a novice writer, I relied on the encouragement and support of a number of friends and professional individuals who provided critical readings of the manuscript, with particular thanks to Professor Judy Sider O'Donnell for her editing work. I am also grateful to Gary Aumiller, Dave Brady, Rita Boettger, Peter Brennan, Bill Buonora, Mitch Douglas at ICM, Stephanie Evans, Ted and Maureen Flynn, Maureen Gaffney, Nancy Gershwin, Kathy Johnson, Tom Leahy, P. J. McKillop, Daryl McNicholas, Nicole Moniaci, Marie Mulcahy, Rhonda Riccio, Mary Lou Robinson, Betty Smith, Sarah Smith, Alexandra Teguis, Mary Terry, and Debbie Tuma. I would also like to thank Dr. Richard A. Blum, University of Central Florida, and, posthumously, Professor Kay Weber, my English professor at St. John's University who encouraged me to pursue a career in writingover thirty years ago.

I personally chose Hampton Roads Publishing Company as my publisher and wish to thank all of the Hampton Roads staff members who assisted in the preparation of Fast Lane to Heaven. I particularly wish to thank my editor, Richard Leviton, along with Rebecca Williamson, Kathy Cooper, Rebecca Whitney, Grace Pedalino, Jen Hummel, Anne Dunn, and most of all, Frank DeMarco and Bob Friedman.

Finally, I wish to thank the Brennan family; the Kearns family; and most of allmy mother, Isabelle; sister Kay; Ginnie, Jacob, and Michael.

AN HOA BASIN

SOUTH VIETNAM

May 31, 1969

We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this afternoon... this afternoon that is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance!

Marcel Proust

As the sun rose over the Que Son Mountains and into An Hoa Basin on the morning of May 31, 1969, the oppressive heat closed in on a U.S. Marine Corps platoon patrolling in the primitive tropical forest. The heat had a way of affecting the men in the platoon and their platoon leader, Lieutenant Daniel McCampbell.

Lieutenant McCampbell cautiously led his platoon through the jungle, the heat sweltered around him, attempting to alter his judgment, forcing him to make mistakes, and increasing the risk for the men in his charge. He would be in country only twenty more days before returning home forever, or so he thought, and he was counting the hours, and the minutes, and the seconds. He was also thinking of home, but he had little time for that when he was responsible for the lives of his men in the jungle. Home was thousands of miles away from this God-forsaken place in the Republic of Vietnam.